1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a timer device including a clock counter for determining real time and a load counter for controlling the operating time of a load. In particular, the present invention relates to a timer device having a display unit indicating the operation state of the load.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Timers, such as for a combination coffee maker which automatically mills the coffee beans, then drips water through the grounds, have been known up to now. Such a known timer for a coffee maker has a clock counter for determining real time and a load counter controlling the milling time. The timer also has a display unit which usually displays the real time from the clock counter, but displays the count value of the load counter, i.e., the remaining milling time, during the milling operation. Further, the display of the display unit during the milling operation is flashed in synchronism with changes in the seconds unit of the clock counter output to indicate that the device is milling.
A problem with this conventional timer is that the counting operation of the load counter is begun in response to the operation of a start key which starts the milling process. However, the counting operation of the load counter will not necessarily be synchronized with the second unit counting action of the clock counter, because the time depression of the start key will not necessarily be synchronized with the clock counter. Therefore, when the display of the count value of the load counter is flashed in response to changes in the seconds unit of the clock counter, the timing of the flashing display does not coincide with the timing of the switching over of the count value being displayed, causing the display to be difficult to view and liable to be read in error.